This morning, Day 19 of my exploration of Beethoven’s symphonies, starts a new chapter: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, which was composed between 1801 and 1802. So here I sit at New Beginnings restaurant, listening to Beethoven’s composition while (or whilst if you’re British) I eat a Mexican chicken omelette complete with jalapenos and … [Read more…]
This morning’s conductor of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major is, once again, Herbert von Karajan – this time from the legendary 1977 cycle. As with his performance in the 1963 cycle, the orchestra for the ’77 is still the Berliner Philharmoniker. (I wonder if any musicians from 1977 were present at the recording … [Read more…]
Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) scares me. The Cult of Karajan is a powerful one, with many music aficionados revering him and the ground he walked on. I’ve tried to separate that – with varying degrees of success – from my listening experiences with the late Maestro. His bio on Wikipedia doesn’t make it … [Read more…]
This morning, I begin another of my insane year-long musical explorations. Unlike previous projects (see My Year-Long Project page), I know this one will be interrupted by at least two life events: knee-replacement surgery, and a trip to Australia. I have no idea how I’ll continue with this Beethoven project with those two things looming … [Read more…]